A method for producing an interconnection structure is disclosed. In one aspect, there is formation in a substrate of at least one trench forming a closed contour and at least one hole situated inside the closed contour, the trench and the hole being separated by a zone of the substrate. Furthermore, the trench is filled with a dielectric material and the hole is filled with a conducting material.
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1. A method for producing an interconnection structure with at least one via passing through a substrate, the method comprising: simultaneously forming, in a front face of the substrate, at least one first opening producing a closed contour and at least one second opening situated inside the closed contour, wherein the second opening does not pass through the substrate and the second opening includes a wall and a bottom, the first opening and the second opening being separated by a zone of the substrate; filling the first and second openings with a first material; removing the first material from one of the first and second openings from the front face; forming or depositing a second material in the one of the first and second openings from which the first material is removed; and after forming or depositing the second material, revealing the second opening from a back face of the substrate to form one interconnection via, wherein each of the first material and the second material comprises one of a dielectric material and a conducting material, and wherein the first material is different from the second material.
A method for creating a via (a connection through a substrate) involves forming at least one closed trench (a first opening) and at least one hole (a second opening) inside the trench simultaneously on the substrate's surface. The hole doesn't go all the way through and is separated from the trench. Both trench and hole are filled with a first material (either dielectric or conductive). The first material is then removed from either the trench or the hole. The now-empty trench or hole is filled with a second, different material (either dielectric or conductive). Finally, the hole is exposed from the backside of the substrate, creating the via.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first material comprises a dielectric material and the second material comprise a conducting material, wherein the first material is removed from the second opening, and wherein the second material is formed or deposited in the second opening.
This via production method builds upon the previous description by using a dielectric material as the first filling and a conductive material as the second filling. Specifically, the dielectric material is removed from the hole, and the conductive material is then deposited into that hole. This leaves the trench filled with dielectric, and the via itself composed of conductive material in the hole.
3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the conducting material is formed in the second opening so as to cover the bottom and the wall of the second opening, the method further comprising filling in the rest of the second opening with an insulating material.
In this refinement of the previous via production method (using dielectric first, conductive second, in the hole), the conductive material is deposited to coat the bottom and walls of the hole. The remaining space inside the hole is then filled with an insulating material, creating a conductive via surrounded by insulation inside the original hole.
4. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising, between the removing of the dielectric material from the second opening and the forming or depositing the conducting material in the second opening, enlarging the second opening.
This addition to the prior via production method (using dielectric first, conductive second, in the hole) includes an enlargement step. After removing the dielectric material from the hole, the hole is widened before depositing the conductive material. This allows for a larger conductive via to be formed.
5. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the substrate has a base of a given conducting or semi-conducting material and the conducting material is a metal.
Continuing with the prior via production method (using dielectric first, conductive second, in the hole), the substrate is made of a conducting or semi-conducting material. The conductive material used to form the via is a metal. This ensures good electrical contact between the via and the substrate.
6. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the second opening filled with the conducting material forms a conductor member, the method further comprising producing at least one connecting stud on the conductor member.
Building on the prior via production method (using dielectric first, conductive second, in the hole), the hole filled with conductive material forms a conductor member. This method further includes producing at least one connecting stud on this conductor member. This stud provides a convenient point for external electrical connection to the via.
7. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the second opening is filled with the conducting material forming a conductor member, the method further comprising thinning at least one of the faces of the substrate so as to reveal one end of the conductor member.
This elaborates on the prior via production method (using dielectric first, conductive second, in the hole) where the hole filled with conductive material forms a conductor member. The method includes thinning at least one face of the substrate to expose one end of this conductor member. This allows for access to the via from the thinned face.
8. The method according to claim 7 , further comprising producing a conducting stud on the end of the conductor member.
Taking the previous method of via production (dielectric first, conductive second, in the hole) and thinning the substrate to expose the conductor, this method further comprises producing a conducting stud on the exposed end of the conductor member. This provides an accessible point of contact on the thinned side.
9. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the substrate comprises one or several conducting zones situated on one of the front and back face of the substrate, the simultaneously forming includes etching from the other of the front and back face of the substrate so as to reveal at least one of the conducting zones.
The prior via production method (using dielectric first, conductive second, in the hole) is expanded by having the substrate contain one or more conductive zones on either the front or back face. The simultaneous trench and hole formation includes etching from the *opposite* face to reveal at least one of these conductive zones. This creates a direct connection between the via and a pre-existing conductive region.
10. The method according to claim 2 , the simultaneous forming comprising producing one or several other openings situated inside the closed contour.
The prior via production method (using dielectric first, conductive second, in the hole) is further enhanced by the simultaneous formation of one or more additional openings inside the closed trench. This allows for creating multiple vias within the same isolating trench structure.
11. The method according to claim 2 , the simultaneous forming comprising producing at least one other opening forming another closed contour surrounding the closed contour.
Expanding upon the prior via production method (using dielectric first, conductive second, in the hole), the simultaneous formation step includes creating at least one *other* closed trench that surrounds the original closed trench. This allows for more complex isolation schemes with multiple nested trenches.
12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first material comprises a conducting material and the second material comprise a dielectric material, wherein the first material is removed from the first opening, and wherein the second material is formed or deposited in the first opening.
An alternative via production method forms a trench (first opening) and a hole (second opening) simultaneously on a substrate's surface. The hole doesn't go through the substrate and is separated from the trench. Both are filled with a first material (either conductive or dielectric). The first material is removed from the *trench*. The now-empty trench is filled with a second, different material (either conductive or dielectric). The hole is exposed from the backside, forming the via.
13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein after depositing of the conducting material in the first opening and the second opening, and removing the conducting material from the first opening, heat treating the interconnection structure so as to form an alloy of a material of the substrate and the conducting material.
In addition to the method of via production that uses a conducting material first and a dielectric material second, followed by removing the conducting material from the first opening (trench) and depositing the dielectric material, this process includes heat treating the structure *after* depositing the materials and removing the conductor from the trench. The heat treatment forms an alloy between the substrate material and the conducting material.
14. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the conducting material is formed in the second opening so as to cover the bottom and the wall of the second opening, the method further comprising filling in the rest of the second opening with an insulating material.
In this variation of the method that uses conducting material first and dielectric material second where the first material is removed from the trench, the conducting material deposited in the hole (second opening) is applied to cover the bottom and walls of the hole. The remaining space inside the hole is then filled with an insulating material.
15. The method according to claim 12 , wherein filling in the rest of the second opening with an insulating material is performed at the same time as depositing the dielectric material in the first opening, the dielectric material filling in the rest of the second opening.
Expanding on the previous method of via production (conductive material first, removed from the trench, dielectric second), the step of filling the remaining space in the hole with insulating material is done *at the same time* as depositing the dielectric material into the trench. The dielectric material fills both the trench and the remaining space in the hole.
16. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the substrate has a base of a given conducting or semi-conducting material and the conducting material is a metal.
This claim refers to the previous via production method (conductive material first, removed from the trench, dielectric second) where the substrate consists of a conducting or semi-conducting material. The conducting material used in the process is a metal.
17. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the second opening filled with the conducting material forms a conductor member, the method further comprising producing at least one connecting stud on the conductor member.
Expanding on the prior via production method (conductive material first, dielectric second, conductor removed from the trench), the hole filled with conducting material forms a conductor member. This method further includes producing at least one connecting stud on this conductor member.
18. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the second opening is filled with the conducting material forming a conductor member, the method further comprising thinning at least one of the faces of the substrate so as to reveal one end of the conductor member.
This elaborates on the prior via production method (conductive first, dielectric second, conducting material removed from trench) where the second opening filled with conductive material forms a conductor member. The method includes thinning at least one face of the substrate to expose one end of this conductor member.
19. The method according to claim 18 , further comprising producing a conducting stud on the end of the conductor member.
Following the previous method of via production (conductive first, dielectric second, conductor removed from the trench) and thinning the substrate to expose the conductor, this method further comprises producing a conducting stud on the exposed end of the conductor member.
20. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the substrate comprises one or several conducting zones situated on one of the substrate faces, and the forming of the second opening includes etching from the other of its faces so as to reveal at least one of the conducting zones.
The prior via production method (conductive material first, dielectric material second, conductive material removed from trench) is expanded by having the substrate contain one or more conductive zones on one face of the substrate. The hole forming includes etching from the *opposite* face to expose the conductive zones.
21. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the simultaneously forming comprises producing one or several other openings situated inside the closed contour.
Building upon the prior via production method (conductive first, dielectric second, conducting material removed from the trench), the simultaneous formation of trench and hole also involves creating one or more *additional* openings located *inside* the closed trench.
22. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the simultaneously forming comprises producing at least one other opening forming another closed contour surrounding the closed contour.
Expanding upon the previous method (conductive first, dielectric second, conductor removed from the trench), the simultaneous forming involves creating at least one *other* closed trench surrounding the first closed trench.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
December 14, 2010
September 24, 2013
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